Inventory of the William Carl Saxon Diaries
Michael P. Palmer
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Phone: (213) 741-0094
Fax: (213) 741-0220
Email: askone@onearchives.org
URL: http://www.onearchives.org
© 2008
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the William Carl Saxon Diaries
Collection number: Coll2008-015
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael P. Palmer
- Date Completed:
- May 5, 2008
- Encoded by:
- Michael P. Palmer
© 2008 ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant
from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Descriptive Summary
Title: William Carl Saxon diaries
Dates: 1971-1992
Collection number: Coll2008-015
Creator:
Saxon, William Carl, 1954-1992
Collection Size: 4 archive cartons.
1.4 linear feet.
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: Journals, 1971-1992, of William Carl Saxon
(1954-1992). The entries are primarily of a psychological nature, and chronicle
his relationships with his family, friends, and his long-time partner, William
John "Billy" Lorenz, and, from July 1990, the emotional effects of his struggle
with AIDS.
Languages: Languages represented
in the collection: English
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish materials from this collection must
obtain permission in writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the
physical and copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
William Carl Saxon diaries, Coll2008-015, ONE National Gay and Lesbian
Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of William John Lorenz, legatee of William Carl Saxon, September 1,
1994.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Michael P. Palmer,
May 5, 2008.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Biography
William Carl Saxon was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 26,
1954. He graduated from Franklin Hugh School in 1972, and received a journalism
scholarship from the Los Angeles Times to attend California State University
Los Angeles, where he served as president of the Gay Student Union, and from
which he graduated in 1979 with a BA in American Studies. Saxon did much
volunteer work with the Braille Institute, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian
Center, and the Suicide Hot Line. He was last employed as a Quality Control
Engineer and Customer Service Representative at Champion Irrigation Co. He was
diagnosed with AIDS in July 1990, and died of the disease in Los Angeles on
February 22, 1992.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of the journals of William Carl Saxon
(1954-1992) for the period 1971-1992. The entries are primarily of a
psychological nature, and chronicle Saxon's relationships with his family,
friends, and his long-time partner, William John "Billy" Lorenz. The entries
are extensive for the period 1972-1977, then become increasingly intermittent
until 1990, when Saxon was diagnosed with AIDS. The entries from July 1990
until January 1992, document, in a deteriorating hand, the emotional effects of
Saxon's struggle with the disease. A single folder contains several photographs
of Saxon and Lorenz, Saxon's last will, his last letter to Lorenz, and
materials from his memorial service.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
AIDS (Disease) --Psychological aspects
Diaries
Saxon, William Carl,
1954-1992
Box 1 : 2-7 ; 2 : 1-4 ; 3 : 1-3 ; 4 :
1-2
Box 1 : 2
No. 1 / 2 (copy)
September
20, 1971 - April 13, 1973
Box 1 :
3
No. 2 (original)
April 18,
1972 - March 12, 1973
Box 1 :
4
No. 3
March 13 -
July 27, 1973
Box 1 :
5
No. 4
July 29,
1973 - April 8, 1974
Box 1 :
6
No. 5
April 9 -
December 29, 1974
Box 1
: 7
No. 6
December
30, 1974 - April 6, 1975
Box 2 :
1
No. 7
April 9,
1975 - June 7, 1976
Box 2
: 2
No. 8
June 8,
1976 - November 25, 1977
Box 2
: 3
No. 9
November
30, 1977 - July 23, 1980
Box 2
: 4
No. 10
August 1,
1980 - September 3, 1983
Box 3
: 1
No. 11
October 4,
1983 - November 2, 1990
Box 3 :
2
No. 12
November 2,
1990 - March 13, 1991
Box 3 :
3
No. 13
March 14 -
September 15, 1991
Box 4 : 1
No. 14
September
17, 1991 - January 5, 1992
